1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to emergency call systems and, particularly, to an emergency call system (EMCS) provided with a theftproof function for detecting illegal use of a vehicle by an unauthorized user or occurrence of a vehicle theft, and delivering accurate, related information to an authorized user or a HELP center when the vehicle is stolen.
2. Description of the Related Art
According to the related-art approach, vehicle theft prevention may be implemented by a vehicle driving license card apparatus wherein vehicle theft is prevented by authorizing vehicle driving only when an IC card, provided with an integrated circuit memory storing driving license information related to an authorized user of a vehicle, is properly read by a verifying means provided in the vehicle. In an alternative approach, vehicle theft is prevented by a vehicle theft preventing apparatus in which a code provided by an unauthorized user trying to start an engine of a vehicle with a key is compared with a registered secret code associated with the key. If it is determined as a result of comparison that an authenticate key is not used to start the engine, a determination is made that the vehicle is being stolen. An alarm may be sounded or a lamp is made to flash before the engine is automatically stopped.
However, in the vehicle theft preventing apparatus according to the related art, it is difficult to differentiate accurately between an emergency state in which a theft or the like has occurred and a normal state. It is also difficult to determine whether an authorized user is trying to use the vehicle. Consequently, the related-art apparatuses often end up delivering a false message to a HELP center. Accordingly, a relatively heavy load is imposed on the HELP center processing false messages.
Accordingly, a general object of the present invention is to provide an emergency call system provided with a theftproof function in which the aforementioned drawbacks are eliminated.
Another and more specific object of the invention is to provide an emergency call system provided with a theftproof function in which a frequency of false emergency messages indicating a theft or the like is reduced so that the HELP center is relieved of a load of processing false messages.
The aforementioned objects can be achieved by an emergency call system comprising: a vehicle interface unit for receiving inputs of a vehicle speed pulse indicating a speed of a vehicle and signals including a status signal indicating a status of a key of the vehicle; a data transmission unit for transmitting information indicating a status of the vehicle to one of a HELP center provided outside the vehicle and a registered portable phone, and for receiving a control signal transmitted from one of the HELP center and the registered portable phone to set a status of the vehicle; a GPS reception and gyro sensor unit for detecting a current vehicle location; an operation interface for locally receiving the control signal for setting the status of the vehicle; a display unit for displaying the status of the vehicle; an arithmetic and control unit connected to the vehicle interface unit, the data transmission unit, the operation interface, the display unit and the GPS reception and gyro sensor unit, and provided with a memory for storing a program or data controlling the vehicle interface unit, the data transmission unit, the operation interface, the display unit and the GPS reception and gyro sensor unit, wherein the arithmetic control unit receives the control signal via one of the data transmission unit and the operation interface so as to set one of a drive mode and a theft prevention mode in the vehicle, accordingly checks an ID of a user, a frequency of trials for verifying the ID, a current vehicle location and a status of a door of the vehicle, and generates information related to the theft when it is determined that the vehicle is stolen, thus sending the information to one of the HELP center and the portable phone via the data transmission unit and displaying the information in the display unit.
The arithmetic and control unit in the drive mode may verify the ID when the door of the vehicle is open and execute the steps of: detecting a current vehicle location via the GPS reception and gyro sensor unit when the ID is successfully verified so as to store the detected current vehicle location; detecting the current vehicle location via the GPS reception and gyro sensor unit when the ID is not verified, thus determining, when there is a difference between data relating to a previous vehicle location stored in the memory and data relating to the current vehicle location, that the vehicle is stolen, and stores, when there is no difference, the data relating to the current vehicle location in the memory; and counting the frequency of trials for verifying the ID and determining, when the count exceeds a predetermined level, that the vehicle is stolen so as to notify one of the HELP center and the portable phone accordingly via the data transmission unit; wherein the arithmetic and control unit in the theft prevention mode determines that the vehicle is stolen, when the door of the vehicle is closed and when there is a difference between the data relating to the current vehicle location detected via the GPS reception and gyro sensor unit and the data relating to the previous vehicle location stored in the memory, so as to notify one of the HELP center and the portable phone accordingly via the data transmission unit; and wherein the arithmetic and control unit in the theft prevention mode verifies the ID when the door of the vehicle is open, and executes the steps of: detecting a current vehicle location via the GPS reception and gyro sensor unit when the ID is successfully verified so as to store the detected current vehicle location; detecting the current vehicle location via the GPS reception and gyro sensor unit when the ID is not verified, thus determining, when there is a difference between data relating to a previous vehicle location stored in the memory and data relating to the current vehicle location, that the vehicle is stolen, and stores, when there is no difference, the data relating to the current vehicle location in the memory; and counting the frequency of trials for verifying the ID and determining, when the count exceeds a predetermined level, that the vehicle is stolen so as to notify one of the HELP center and the portable phone accordingly via the data transmission unit.